And did you continue playingthe game?
I just now got this little paradise of a start:
What is the worst start you have ever had?
I literally started in snow
Since you already said that you are playing on world map, you got Alaska.
Alaska has two sides. Sometimes, you're completely isolated because of mountains. That isn't horrible, since that would make it really hard to attack your capital. The other side is when you start on Alaska, and the mountains DO allow you passing through. This is essentially better, because it's easy to defend, and also easier to explore.
In both situations, I advise settling in North America(the actually fertile part).
I literally started in snow
yeah, tundra without river or forest sucks. Still, 2 fish, 2 whales, 3 deer, and one furs is not bad.